Minnesota Crop News

Anthony Hanson - Extension Educator Field Crops IPM The ninth session of Strategic Farming: Field Notes for 2026 was held on July 15 covering corn reproduction and nitrogen use and availability, especially considering the hot weather and localized heavy rainfall in some areas of the state.  Ryan Miller, Crops Extension Educator, discussed these topics with Jeff Coulter - Extension Corn Agronomist, and Brad Carlson - Extension Educator in Nutrient Management. To listen to the full podcast, visit  https://strategicfarming.transistor.fm/episodes . Two Wednesday webinar sessions remain for 2026 on Aug. 5. and 12, and you can register at  z.umn.edu/FN2026 . Corn Coulter mentioned that crop development has progressed quickly this season with tasseling happening about a week ahead of normal. Consistent moisture across much of the state has kept stress on corn to a minimum, but it is starting to dry out with little chance of rain looking forward.  A couple questions were ask...

By: Matt Pfarr, Extension educator-crops and Dave Nicolai, Extension educator-crops The 2026 Field School for Ag Professionals will be held July 29 and 30 at the University of Minnesota Agriculture Experiment Station in St. Paul. This two-day event is the premier summer training opportunity that combines hands-on, interactive training with real world field scenarios. The design of the field school allows for in-depth crop growth stage training   Register today and lock in your sport as class sizes will be capped to provide instructor access. The first day of the Field School program focuses on core principles in agronomy, entomology, weed and soil sciences to build a strong foundation of skills and knowledge. The second day builds on this foundation with timely, cutting-edge topics that participants can select. This program is targeted toward agronomists, crop production retailers, seed dealers, consultants, crop protection industry representatives, Extension educators, gove...

Join us Wednesday, July 22nd  for the weekly summer Field Notes webinar when we welcome Fei Yang , Extension Corn Entomologist, and Brett Arenz , Director of the University of Minnesota Plant Disease Clinic. If you aren't registered for these free webinars, visit: z.umn.edu/FN2026. Corn insects and disease identification will be the focus of the July 22, 2026 session of Field Notes. What is Field Notes? Crop producers and agricultural professionals face a host of challenges, including pest issues, agronomic concerns, and soil fertility questions. The U of MN Extension Strategic Farming program addresses your crop-related concerns through information-packed, research-based, informal discussions with specialists in the field. You can also ask questions directly to Extension faculty and staff during this program. Strategic Farming: Field Notes features live weekly online interactive discussions on cropping issues as they arise throughout the growing season.  The 2026 season will ...

Small grains harvest is underway in Minnesota.  Initial reports from southern Minnesota indicate better-than-expected grain yields with good quality.  One challenge oat growers face is green stems, even when the grain is more than dry enough to start harvest.  Margaret Smith, Albert Lea Seed agronomist, wrote a blog post for their growers explaining why this happens and how to manage it as best as possible. I encourage you to read the post . Now is also the time to check the incidence and severity of Fusarium Head Blight (FHB) in spring wheat across the Red River Valley.  The ideal time to get the best estimate is three weeks after you made the heading application.  Given the dry, hot weather the spring wheat crop endured the past two weeks, this optimum time is probably a bit earlier. Check fields that were seeded to varieties rated susceptible or very susceptible (a rating of 6 or worse in the Minnesota variety trials ) on old corn ground first, even if...

By: Ryan Miller, University of Minnesota Extension Educator - Crops, Jeff Coulter, University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist, Brad Carlson, University of Minnesota Extension Educator - Nutrient Management and Water Quality, and Dean Malvick, University of Minnesota Extension Pathologist - Field Crops Environmental stresses The “heat dome”, hot temperatures during the early reproductive stages of corn development, what does it mean for Minnesota’s corn crop? The Minnesota corn crop is about a week ahead of normal and currently has adequate moisture but limited precipitation or chances for precipitation means things are drying out. Fortunately, the temperature conditions are expected to be cooler this coming week. So how is the heat affecting corn that is pollinating or starting to pollinate? Current high temperatures have been in the low 90’s, and corn can tolerate those temperatures without issue. Things have been drying out with the lack of precipitation and during hot dry ...

Angie Peltier, UMN Extension crops educator and Meg Moynihan, Minnesota dairy farmer and Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s ‘farm stress’ lady The following information was provided during the July 8, 2026 Strategic Farming: Field Notes session. Use your preferred podcasting platform or listen online to a podcast of this Field Notes session. Times are tough: unique stressors on farms Farming is a uniquely stressful profession. Fewer peers as each decade passes, high input prices, lower commodity prices, inflation and tariff impacts on costs of living, and weather and trade uncertainty have combined over the last couple of years to increase the stress among those working in this already stressful line of business. Some of the physical signs of stress can include changes in appetite or weight, stomach/GI problems, poor sleep, teeth grinding, chest pain/palpitations, and changes in grooming habits. Folks living through a very stressful period can also show behavioral signs of stress...